


Almost the Time

by Constellation



Category: Fyerellal
Genre: Gen, this has to be the weirdest thing ever written and hoarmurath has every right to knock me senseless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-24
Updated: 2013-05-24
Packaged: 2017-12-12 20:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/815474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Constellation/pseuds/Constellation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Quite a journey we've had,” Serin remarks that last night, when they sit and watch the sunset and know that in a few hours they die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost the Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hoarmurath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoarmurath/gifts), [Silvereye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvereye/gifts).



> Fyerellal is an epic LARP series belonging to hoarmurath. All the characters (NPCs) are hers too. The Four's personalities are partially inspired by the people who played them, so that credit goes to them. Their families are made up by me. The strange format of this story was influenced by Silvereye's "Sis avenger magica".  
> Big sis, if there's any facts that are terribly wrong, let me know and I'll fix them.

**One | _Superbia_**

Ilinyr knows better than to care about people. A scarred heart is no good for a fighter. So she focuses on what needs to be done for her king and country.

She cares about doing her duty. That’s good enough for her.

*

“I want you to lead them,” he says. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest harder than ever before. This mission would be her last. This mission would be her death.

In her mind, she says yes even before he has finished explaining.

*

She knows better than to care about people. But she does so anyway.

She can’t even tell them yet that she is going to die.

 

**Two | _Avaritia_**

Lentha comes to the king looking unusually strict for her usual self. Her hair is in tight braids and for once her clothes are completely clean.

She listens in silence, and asks only one question.

He gives her time to think, like always.

*

That night, she dreams of shadows and blood, and wakes up with a scream. She hasn’t had a nightmare in such a long time.

Now she’s even more afraid.

*

She can’t leave Ilinyr. Ilinyr would be fine without her, but Lentha won’t. She needs the woman she has always looked up to.

She has always had a plan. She doesn’t have one anymore.

 

**Three | _Luxuria_**

They sit by the fire, and Serin has fallen asleep in Melinic’s arms. Melinic finds this incredibly strange. Neither of them is a kind for such close connections. No dragonsorcerer usually is.

He has heard rumours of what has to be done. He knows they might be included.

He can’t lose Serin.

*

They go to the king together, as they have always done as long as anyone can remember. Curiosity on their faces, they listen patiently.

Serin asks a few questions. Melinic remains silent.

He can’t lose Serin, whatever it takes.

*

Serin agrees right there. Melinic opens his mouth to argue, but shuts it before a word escapes.

He won’t lose Serin. If he wants to die, Melinic will die with him.

He’s too afraid, and Serin can see that. That night they sleep together, fire and earth clashing and mixing, and for once in a long time they have peaceful dreams.

 

**Four | _Invidia_**

Sometimes, when Serin looks at Lentha, he wonders how in the name of Myanarmon did that girl become a dragonknight. She’s petite and absentminded and incredibly dishevelled and definitely too emotional for a proper dragonsorcerer.

Then again, maybe that’s why he’s become attached to her. He finds her fierce emotions incredibly mesmerizing. How can one feel something so strong, so completely burning?

He’s seen her angry, angry enough to cause a storm around her, and he’s seen her so utterly devastated that even the sky seemed to be greying above her; and always he wonders how all that doesn’t rip her mind apart.

She has to be strong, he guesses.

*

There are flowers delivered to Ilinyr’s door like every Stormday. This time, it’s a large bundle of white roses. She is bewildered by them like every time, but puts them into a vase anyway. Just because she doesn’t get the motivation behind them very well, doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate beauty like that.

“Your secret admirer is pretty serious,” Melinic comments when he comes over to borrow a few things.

“Secret admirer?” Ilinyr huffs. “I am very much not interested in any admirers, thank you. Except that _he_ still doesn’t seem to get that.”

Melinic gives her one of his know-it-all grins, and she feels a sudden urge to smack him. Instead, she asks, “And how’s Serin?”

“Haven’t seen him since yesterday. He’s training with Lentha.” His smile fades as he speaks, Ilinyr notices. She knows of the row between Melinic and Lentha, but that was quite a while ago. Is he still mad at that?

Maybe. You can never know with Melinic. He’s too secretive for Ilinyr’s tastes. Or maybe that’s why they’re friends in the first place.

And though she hates to admit that, she’s also just a little bit jealous of Serin, for she knows how loved he is.

*

Lentha is having nightmares again. She sees them die, over and over again, unable to do anything to save them.

She’s never had many friends. She can’t afford to lose those she has. So she goes back to the king and says yes, because if they go, she’ll go with them.

The nightmares get worse after that.

 

**Five | _Gula_**

They don’t talk about the mission.

It’s an unspoken rule amongst them: no talking of the mission until necessary.

There’s still a bit time before they start with preparations. It’s to be used wisely, they decide.

*

Ilinyr visits her sister and tells her about everything.

Her sister doesn’t want her to go. She says Ilinyr is a proud, stuck-up fool for going into unavoidable death. She doesn’t seem to understand why it needs to be done.

Ilinyr leaves with a hollow feeling in her chest. She’s just doing her duty for king and country. It’s not bad to die for that.

*

Melinic goes to his parents with a heavy heart. He’s their only child and now he’s going to die.

They try to make everything best for him as long as they can. He feels a bit uneasy about this, but in general everything goes more or less fine. At least they understand why he’s doing this.

When he gets back to Serin, he doesn’t utter a word for days.

*

Serin’s mother is not entirely sure it’s a good idea, but she accepts his decision.

“It’s for you,” he says. “To protect you. You and brothers and everyone else.”

“I know,” she replies soothingly. “But mostly that Dragolis boy.”

He’s more than surprised, but she only laughs and says that it’s been pretty obvious for a while what’s going on between them.

*

Lentha doesn’t leave her home. She has nowhere to go, nobody to bid farewell to.

Instead, she spends her time whittling toys. The repetitive cutting and scraping is almost a form of meditation for her, and occasionally she spends hours just chipping little pieces off without even making it into anything.

It’s just her and little wooden toys, like it had been for a long time.

 

**Six | _Ira_**

He won’t lose him.

If he has to die with him to achieve that, so be it. But he won’t lose him.

*

There are flowers delivered to her again. She knows it’s the last time. Duty is to be done.

(It’s blue tulips this time, her favourites.)

*

The nightmares won’t stop, not even after she goes to the healers. Nothing they do helps anymore. She sees them die and herself live. A coward, a traitor.

No, she won’t be that. She refuses to be that.

*

He doesn’t want to go anymore. He does so nonetheless. For his mother, his brothers, his friends, for everyone.

For the man he loves, mostly.

 

**Seven | _Acedia_**

Everything is almost done.

“Quite a journey we’ve had,” Serin remarks that last night, when they sit and watch the sunset and know that in a few hours they die.

“Quite,” Ilinyr mumbles.

Melinic hasn’t talked all day. He’s leaning against Serin, his fingers softly caressing his lover’s hair. He doesn’t want to think of what’s coming next.

Lentha is nowhere to be seen.

Ilinyr looks at her friends, and feels she’s scared. She’s never been scared about this before, but now… they are so young, after all. Too young. Both men are at least a century younger than her, and Lentha hasn’t even hit three hundred yet. How did that peculiar little child even manage to become a dragonknight?

Speaking of the latter, she appears out of nowhere and sits next to them. She doesn’t say anything, nor does she need to. They know the look in her eyes well enough.

It’s almost the time.

But not yet.


End file.
